Should I buy a Sansamp unit for bass or wait for a VST plugin?

[whitedamp]

I just love the tone of the Sansamp stuff on bass but I´m not sure if I should buy the hardware or wait for a VST plugin. Have you ever used the PSA-1 plugin? Does it sounds like a real PSA-1 or is just a crappy emulation? I would love to have the Sansamp tone on a plugin that I could tweak and wouldn´t take space on my desk, but maybe I´m waiting for a product that will never be released.

 

[Metal Overload]

Buy the unit, the psa-1 works awesome for bass, the plug-in is similar, but be real deal is better

 

[whitedamp]

For that growly bass tone of bands like Korn, new Lacuna Coil or old Silverchair which one do you think is better: the Bass Driver DI or the PSA-1? Thanks for the reply.

ps: the Tech21 site sucks so much they don´t event botter making some half-decent audio demos. I wonder how can brands like Soldano, Tech21 and Sonor have such horrible sites. uke:

 

[doc_backmask]

I wonder how can brands like Soldano, Tech21 and Sonor have such horrible sites.

Because the products speak for themselves.

 

[MetalWorks]

For that growly bass tone of bands like Korn, new Lacuna Coil or old Silverchair which one do you think is better: the Bass Driver DI or the PSA-1? Thanks for the reply.

ps: the Tech21 site sucks so much they don´t event botter making some half-decent audio demos. I wonder how can brands like Soldano, Tech21 and Sonor have such horrible sites. uke:

Or What about the Sansamp RBI (Rackmounted spinoff of Bass Driver)?

I was looking to buy that........

 

[Metal Overload]

The RbI is great to, but honestly i like the Psa-a more (but the RBI is cheaper), i use it for guitar, but is really good for bass to is more versatile than the rbi, and work way better for direct recording for bass than for guitar.

i never tried the Bass Driver DI, but the RBI preamp is supossed to be the Rack Version of the pedal.

 

[egan.]

I love my bass driver and wouldn't trade it for a plugin. Maybe I would by the plug as well tho...

 

[everybody's x]

buy the hardware, you'll end up using it on everything, and it will have resale value later unlike your software. the sansamp bass di is one of my favorite pieces of gear and the best thing you can do for your studio for less than 200 bucks

 

[whitedamp]

@Metal Overload:
Do you have any kind of short clip comparing the PSA-1 hardware and plugin versions? I prefeer plugin version of things because, as by now I suck at mixing, I love being able to quickly change the settings of my mixes as I learn new things and improve my skills. In other words, I would love to make all my old stuff sound cool when (if) I learn how to do things right... But, obviously, if the plugin sucks I´m getting the hardware one.

Because the products speak for themselves.

I see your point but... man, just look at this. There´s no excuse! LOL
Maybe I should design a new site for them and ask for a free SLO-100

 

[greyskull]

wait for a vst plugin????
you'll be waiting a long time!
it was made by bomb factory, now owned by digidesign, so your best bet is the rbi

 

[doc_backmask]

I see your point but... man, just look at this. There´s no excuse! LOL
Maybe I should design a new site for them and ask for a free SLO-100

You're right. I'd never seen that Soldano site. Man, I was making better sites when I was in 8th grade. The Tech21 site is nice enough, though. I don't think companies like this will spend much time on making audio samples, they have enough artist endorsers that there really is no need. Marshall doesn't really make them either, FWIW.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

how is the PSA-1 different to the RBI apart from the midi and the headphone out?

 

[everybody's x]

how is the PSA-1 different to the RBI apart from the midi and the headphone out?

I'm curious too, because most of the big dogs I've seen rocking the sansamp are using the RBI or the stompbox.

 

[Metal Overload]

The Psa-1 have more Dedicated controls for Distortion, The RBI is Very Limited and is more like Bass Overdrive, however is a great tool.
The Psa-1 has one drive knob and other 3 knobs for shaping distortion, apart from the EQ (which only have Low and High) One for bass(Buzz), one for mids(Punch) and one for highs(Crunch) with this three you can make about any distortion you have heard.
So you can have various distorted or even clean sounds with one unit, and with the RBI only one.

@CO:
I dont have clips sorry, i onle heard he plugin once, is cool, is usable, but it doesn´t compare, if you can afford it go for it, and you can use it live, is great for direct line.

 

[Aaron Smith]

I have no experience with the Psa-1, but I do love my RBI. It's pretty difficult not to get a great metal tone with it.
As for whether you should get the plug-in or a hardware unit, it looks like your question has already been answered pretty well, but here's my two cents: would you rather have a piece of software that's confined to a DAW session, or a piece of analog hardware that can be used there and everywhere else?

 

[Ben Johnson]

Funny, I have a PSA-1 and a Bass Driver...never used the PSA for bass though. I'll have to give it a shot some time.

 

[RUDEONTOUR]

For 10 years now I have used sansamps as a bassist(Cause For Alarm,N17,187) bass tech (Biohazard,Sepultura) and Front of House Engineer (Symphony X,Kreator,Throwdown,Bloodsimple) and at home for my own recording. I have gotten incredible tones for bass with my Bassdriver with my live rig, Madison EB-600, 2 MAB-412's, Fender P-Bass with Seymour-Duncan QPB-3 pickups, Badass bridge and a USA Custom Maple neck, and at home (Macbook Pro, Presonus Firebox, Cubase) the psa-1 also has given me incredible "SVT" (the original) sounds. I use the psa and a sansamp classic pedal and a crate vc508 for my guitar tracks(Jackson Dinky and a Dean v79, both with SD SH-4 and SH-2 pickups) at home and couldn't be happier. I have even used the bassdriver at front of house as an insert on a bass d.i. channel when the bass d.i. sound was weak or if there was no time for soundcheck to tweak the sound. works great!

Rude

 

[Polpotkin]

I seen to get a lot (A LOT) of noise with my psa-1, very high freq. Do you guys have the same problem?
As soon is a got it i cut the wires and built in a on/off-switch so i dont know if it was the same before, but maybe it's because of that.

 

[JoeJackson]

For 10 years now I have used sansamps as a bassist(Cause For Alarm,N17,187)

Cause For Alarm - THAT NY Hardcore-Band?

 

[Charlie E.]

ps: the Tech21 site sucks so much they don´t event botter making some half-decent audio demos. I wonder how can brands like Soldano, Tech21 and Sonor have such horrible sites. uke:

The Musician's Friend site has some great samples of the Sansamp. I'm really interested in it myself as I'm about to start tracking bass this week.